Does this seem like a new boat experience to you?-gctid373661

[Guest]

I apologize for the long post, but I'm about to start making a stink about this, and I just wanted to get other opinions. I don't want to overreact. I realize all boats have problems, even new ones, but does this seem like a new boat experience to you?

Last week, while installing Smart Tabs, I drilled into my transom and a stream of water poured out through the hole on the starboard side. I've had quite a few issues with this boat (some minor, some not so much) since I bought it, and I've been very patient. The dealership has been good about addressing them. But, I can't help but feel that I have a complete lemon on my hands, and this water-logged transom has pushed me over the edge.

The boat had 3/4 of a tank when I purchased it. On her maiden voyage, I noticed that the fuel gauge read empty after about one mile. Unfortunately, I ran out of gas before I could make it to the nearest fuel dock. I had to get TowBoatUs to bring me fuel, and it cost me hundreds of dollars.

The towboat captain noticed that my bilge pump was working overtime. He seemed surprised that it was a brand new boat, and said it shouldn't be taking on water. He looked around and found that the drain for fish well was not attached, and water would just poor in whenever the boat tilted to port. I fixed this myself - it just need to be attached and clamped.

When I contacted the dealership, I suggested that perhaps the fuel was siphoned at their marina. They said that it was very unlikely, as they have employees who live on the premises, and there is a screen installed that would prevent a siphoning hose from being used.

I know I should've double checked the fuel before going out, but who would expect that 3/4 of a tank could evaporate like that. Hmm...

Chronology:

1/17/11 Purchased Boat

4/4/11 Sea Trial/Delivery

4/25/11 Returned boat to dealer:

- About 2-3 sq/ft of the blue gelcoat was fading/spidering starboard just below the rub rail toward the bow.

- Battery would not hold charge for more than 2 days.

- Cocktail table mounted to pedestal way off center - leaned to one side.

- Recall: Replaced core, shift cable.

6/17/11 Twenty Hour check:

- Water leaking into cabin - filling storage areas in vberth. (was leaking through driver's foot rest.) Sealant looked old and was cracking. Cabin still leaks a little from who knows where. I've given up on this issue.

- Bilge continued to take on water. The dealer said they couldn't find anything, and asked me to monitor it. They must've fixed it somehow because it seems ok now.

- Bilge pump float switch would get stuck. I had to work it manually for a weekend.

10/21/11 Winterized boat

- 12v rec. in the dash was stripped and kept pulling out.

- Trim gauge wires were loose, and kept falling off.

- Trailer tail light went out, and had to be replaced.

4/19/12 Returned boat to dealer:

- Water in the transom

- Swim platform and swim ladder hardware rusting

After investing thousands of dollars in upgrades including a hard top and camper top, I'm seriously regretting this purchase. In 2010 I had a 1988 Precision sailboat - the cabin was bone dry, and the boat gave me no troubles. I know that sailboats and powerboats are apple and oranges, but I'm missing that that old sailboat now.

Thanks for reading, and I would appreciate your input.

[Nikko]

Reasonable to expect some issues when buying a new boat - but the soaked transom would do it for me. that's structural - completely not acceptable. I'd ask for a new boat - and I'd get familiar with your local "lemon laws" really quickly. You may also want to prepare letters to your local politicians - don't send 'em yet - but prepare them. Lastly- if you have a friend who's a lawyer, now's the time to invest in a really good bottle of scotch and bend his ear for a while.

[Guest]

What has the dealer's reaction been since this last update?

Give them a chance to make it right and make sure the factory is involved.

[Chesapeake]

Francis, if you are taking your boat to the dealer in White Marsh, I have not had any bad experiences with them. I have now purchased my second boat from them and I have them perform service to the boat. If you still have problems with the boat and not satisfied with the dealer then I would send a letter to Bayliner before I got a lawyer involved.

Keep us posted.

[dmcb]

Its going to be hard for a simple make it right on the transom issue. It won't cause immediate damage but over time it will. Its full of water and there isn't much that would satisfy me on that issue.

If the dealer doesn't come up with something quickly, I would contact Bayliner direct and get them involved.

Doug

[CaptTom]

What model boat? All we know is it has a cabin. Your list sure sounds serious. But first, a few questions:

Where/how do you run the boat? Lake or ocean? Skiing, boarding, jumping wakes? Overnight/weekend/week-long trips?

It sounds like you trailer the boat. Do you disconnect the battery while it's not in use? How long do you run the radio/stereo/lights when the engine is off? Is it a deep-cycle or starting battery? How many Amp-hours?

Have you done any mods? Mounted anything to the transom that required you to drill holes in it?

Is there a lot of crud/debris in the bilge?

As you can see, I'm trying to get some sense of how many of these problems are manufacturing defects vs. pilot error. Since we don't know your boating experience, all of this may be obvious to you. Or not. Some folks buy a boat and drive it like "Them Duke boys" drive the General Lee. It's hard to blame the boat for that! Also some folks think they should get 30 MPG on a boat, and wonder why they run out of gas halfway home.

Again, I'm not assuming you've done anything like that. But it's really hard to answer your questions without knowing more. And you can be sure the dealer will be wondering the same things.

The transom thing is bad. If it's a manufacturing or dealer set-up issue, they need to fix it right or replace the boat.

[dmcb]

Boat is a 192 Discovery. Look at his sig.

[msd58]

You need to get a factory rep involved. Too many issues especially transom issue.

[captharv]

Write to the factory. list the problems and what the dealer did to "solve" them.

DO NOT threaten "lawyer" until the have a chance to respond. They kn ow what happenens if they do not respomnd favoribly, and want to avoid litigation

Water in the transom is serious. There is no simple cure.

[Guest]

Waterlogged transoms are the kind of thing a serious do-it-yourselfer tackles on an old boat so he can get on the water cheaply. You must not accept that on a new boat. As Doug said, there's no fix on the transom that would satisfy me (on a new boat).

[Guest]

I had some major issues with a new boat last year. [email protected] is what i used when i exhausted all resources at dealer. i kept a positive attitude and thing went well for me.

[Guest]

jamie mac wrote:
I had some major issues with a new boat last year. [email protected] is what i used when i exhausted all resources at dealer. i kept a positive attitude and thing went well for me.

I also had major issues with my new boat last year. Keep a level head. I was able to get Bayliner to fly in a field tech from Arizona to New Jersey to do the repairs. I first documented my issues here on BOC and was contacted by the service manager for the east coast. They do read posts here which I found out.

Unfortunately, the service people I dealt with are no longer with Bayliner as all service was being transferred from Washington to Tennessee.

Don't go the lawyer route yet. Contact Bayliner and let them first get a chance to address your issues. It did work for me. Good luck.

[Guest]

Thanks for all of your replies, I really appreciate it. It seems like the general consensus is that water-logged transoms are a major structural issue and I should contact Bayliner directly, which is exactly what I will do on Monday. In the meantime, I'll wait on what the dealer has to say after they inspect it.

You're correct, Chesapeake; I bought the boat at Riverside Marine. I have no complaints about them, since they didn't build the boat, and they have fixed all of the other issues.

CaptTom, I know what you mean. I know how some folks can beat on their boats. It's a 192 Discovery, and I use it as a weekender. It's rough on the Chesapeake, but I take it slow. I just cruise to my destination, spend the weekend , and cruise back. I keep the boat on a trailer at a marina. The battery that came with the boat is crap, I installed a Perco switch with a second (deep cycle) battery. So now all the accessories, lights etc. run off of the new battery, and I use the original for the ignition only.

Last week when I drilled into the transom for the SmartTabs, was the first and only time I ever drilled into the hull. If I didn't install the tabs, I may not have discovered the problem for years.

Most of these issues have been resolved, it's just the cumulative effect of so many issues that is turning this purchase into a negative experience. May is around the corner, and my new boat is in the shop due to a major structural defect...

Thanks again for all of the advice.

[Guest]

As of today it has been four weeks and a day since I brought my new Bayliner 192 back to Riverside Marine for a water logged transom, and they haven't even evaluated the extent of the damage yet. The "fiberglass guy" finally determined that water penetrated the hull through the swim platform mounts (because they detected moisture around the bolts etc..). Moisture in the transom? Really? No ****. I kinda figured that out when two gallons of water poured through the hole that I drilled.

They call it moisture; I call that an understatement. According to the folks at Riverside this sort of thing happens from time to time. Hmm... I must've overlooked that in the Bayliner Brochure.

Then they had to wait on an approval from Bayliner to remove the swim platform, air out the transom, reseal, and replace it. It's been a week now since they removed the swim platform, and guess what? There's still "moisture" in the transom, and they can't reseal it until it's dry. Did they really expect all that water to just evaporate?

The mechanic said that when they knocked around on the hull it didn't sound good, and they realize now that the damage may be more extensive than they initially thought. So, they tell me that they may have to cut into the hull to check out the extent of the damage.

When I told the manager/owner of the dealership that I want a new boat or a refund, he told me that they do not have a refund policy. Then He said that he would go to the marina and look at the boat himself and call me back. That was three days ago, still no call. How do you like that for customer service?

I was patient with the multitude of minor problems with this boat, but purchasing a brand new boat with a water logged hull is like buying a car with a bent frame, as far as I'm concerned. This boat is a 2010 that I bought in 2011, and I'd be willing to that the hull was water-logged when they sold it to me.

I called Bayliner too, they basically said that this is something that I need to sort out with the dealership.

This is getting ugly. Has anyone else had a problem with Riverside?

[dmcb]

The dealer can only do what Bayliner will pay for. I would go up the ladder at Bayliner until you get to someone that has the authority to give you satisfaction.

Someone here should have some names. Don't lose your cool. It isn't time to get out the big stick, yet.

Get to someone with authority and be insistent until you do. Don't take an unsatisfactory answer. If you don't get a name here, keep asking for the boss of the person who says no. And his boss, and his boss. Don't let them push you off but try not to say something that will piss them off. There is always time for that later.

Calmly state your case but let them know you will never trust or be happy with your new boat.

Good luck.

Doug